Centrifugal machine.



PATENTED AUG.'8, 1905.

W. S. MUKINNBY. CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.18.1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

W. S. MOKINNEY. CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED APR.1B.1904.

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APPLIGATION FILED APB.18,1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

W. s. M'CKINNBY. CBNTRIPUGAL MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1904.

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CENTRIFUGAL MACHINEl Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER SABLN MoKIN- NEY, a citizen of 'the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal separators adapted for drying a variety of materials by centrifugal action, the particular embodiment shown herein being adapted for use in separating liquids fromA paper-pulp or the like.

Among the salient objects of the present invention are to provide a machine in which a charge of material may be admitted tothe machine, the liquid driven off, and the dried or partially-dried material ejected without stopping or interrupting the operation of the machine; to provide a machine of the general character referred to so constructed and arranged that the basket or centrifugal drum is supported upon a vertically-disposed stepshaft and revolves as an entirety except only the inner annular w'all 0f the drum; to provide in a machine of this kind a combined scraping and discharging device which is located within the basket and is projected radially into operative engagement with the outer wall of the basket and retracted therefrom periodically and automatically; to provide a scraper so constructed and formed that it operates to scrape the interior of the drum and at the same time to direct the material through a discharge-opening located in the bottom of the central portion of the basket;

to provide mechanism whereby the admission of fresh supplies and alternate projectionand retraction of the scraper are synchronized so as to properly cooperate; to provide improved details of construction and arrangement whereby the entire machine is driven from a single source of power, and in general to provide improvements in the details of construction and arrangement in a machine of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference be- I ing had to the accompanying drawings, in

which* Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is aview, chiefly in axial vertical section, but with parts in side elevation, showing-particularly the construction and arrangement of the internal parts of the basket and surrounding receptacle. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in horizontal section and partly in plan, taken approximately on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and looking downwardly. Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, are details of the scraper, Fig. 4 being a plan view, Fig. 5 a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 an elevation lookinginto the scraper and at the front edge thereof, and Fig. 7 a vertical sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 4. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the discharge-chute into which the scraper delivers, Fig. 8 being a front elevation and Fig. 9 a side elevation thereof. Fig. 10 is a detail of the admission-valve and connected parts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a suitable base-casting provided centrally with a tubular standard 2, constituting a step-bearing, within which is seated the lower end of a step-shaft 3, a wiring-sleeve 4: being interposed between the shaft and tubular extension 2. as shown clearly in Fig. 2. At suitably-spaced intervals apart around the periphery of the base-casting rise standards 5, which terminate at their upper ends in vertical bearing-studs 6, upon which are journaled rollers '7 rlhe inner peripheries of the several rollers 7 engage the exterior of an annular rim 8, formed upon the lower end of a centrifugal drum or basket (designated as a whole 9) and supported upon and revolving with the step-shaft 3.

In order to support the upper end of the step-shaft and connected parts, an overhead frame is provided, comprising a main crossyoke 10, apertured, as indicated at 11, to receive the step-shaft and supported at its opposite ends in transversely disposed upright frame-standards, (designated as a whole 12 and 13, respectively.) In order to lend rigidity to the structure, each frame-standard 2 comprises a pair of standards, as 14, integrally united by cross-frame members, as 15 and 16, to which latter the yoke 10 is rigidly bolted.

Describing now in detail the construction of the basket or centrifugal drum 9, 17 designates as a whole a spider-casting keyed upon the step-shaft, the several arms 18 of which extend radially outward and are integrally united at their outer ends with an annular rim 19. To the rim 19 are secured a series of de pending supporting-arms 20, each of which extends downwardly to a point below the outer Q. veer/5o The bottom casting 22 in the preferred con-v struction shown comprises a Hat disk-like annular portion 23, terminating at its inner periphery in the downturned flange-like extension 8, hereinbefore referred to, and at its outer edge provided with a somewhat similar downturned or cylindrical extension 24, the outer surface of which is vertically coincident with the outer surface of the annular rim 19 of the spider. The cylindrical extension 24 is 'further provided with a downwardly and outwardly flaring extension 25, to which the lower ends of the depending arms 2O are bolted, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, thus uniting the bottom casting with the su pporting-spider rigidly.

The outer wall 21 of the, basket is in the present instance of three-part construction or composed of three layers of different materials. The outer layer consists of a sheet of relatively heavy perforated steel screening, as indicated at 26. The inner member preferably consists of a relatively thin sheet of finely-perforated brass, as indicated at 27, and between these two sheets of metal is interposed a sheet of heavy coarse canvas, (designated 28.) 1n order to hold the several sheets composing the screen-wall of the basket in position, a plurality of clamping-bands, as 29, 30, and 31, are provided, arranged to extend around the exterior of the basket at the upper and lower edges of the same and at a point intermediate its height.

rlhe inner wall of the basket is stationary and is supported from the central tubular extension 2 of the base-casting. Describing this member, 32 designates acylindric-like member fitting at its upper and lower edges between the under surface of the spider 17 and the inner wall 23 of the bottom casting arranged concentrically with the step-shaft and provided with a plurality of arms 33, which extend radially inwardly and downwardly and terminate at their lower ends in aiiat ring 34, which rests upon a correspondingly-shaped extension 35 of the tubular member 2. The parts 34 and 35 are bolted together, so that the cylindric member 32 is held rigidly.

r1`he cylindric member 32 is interrupted at one side to form an opening through which the scraper (designated as a whole 36)works, one vertical edge of the cylindric member being provided with a pair of vertically-disposed sockets, as 37 and 38, which serve as the bearings for a rock-shaft 39, upon which the scraper is rigidly mounted. The lower end of said rock-shaft is seated in a suitable step-bearing 40, mounted upon the base-casting 1.

Describing the scraper in detail and referring more particularly to Fig. 2 and detail Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, 41 designates a socket member formed upon the heel portion of the scraper, through which the shaft 39 extends and to which it is splined. The shaft 39 is, as best shown in Fig. 3, located eccentrically with relation to the main step-shaft 3, and the rear vertical side 42 of the scraper is internally concave and extends when the scraper is in operative position from the inner surface of the screen-wall inwardly to a point near thc main step-shaft, the curvature of the inner portion of said wall being increased, so as form a scroll-like surface, as best indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. At the same time the upper edge of the rear wall of the scraper is extended forwardly to form a hood-like extension 43, which inclines outwardly and downwardly toward a delivery-opening 44, formed in the bottom of the scraper approximately concentric with the spirally-curved inner portion of the rear wall 42. This overhanging or hood-like top portion 43 is recessed, as indicated at 45, to receive the stepshaft when the scraper is swung to its innermost limit of movement. The vertical outer edge of the rear wall is brought to a blunt knife or scraping edge 46, as best seen in Figs. 4 and 6. The lower side of the scraper is provided with a bottom wall 47, which is of irregular segmental form, and is elevated slightly above the iioor of the basket throughout its greater portion, the advance edge, however, being inclined downwardly, so as to rest contiguous to the floor, and formed into a knife-edge, as indicated at 48. (See Fig. 7.) This knife-edge 48 is desirably formed on a curve concentric with the pivotal axis of the scraper and extends close to that edge of the cylindric wall member 32 opposite that upon which the scraper is pivoted. The construction and arrangement of the parts is such that when the scraper is swung into its innermost or fully-retracted position the outer knifeedge of the scraper will rest in proximity to the edge 32 of the cylindric wall member, and the annular chamber formed Within the basket will be substantially unobstructed, the outer or back wall of the scraper forming at such time, in effect, acontinuation of the cylindric wall of the member 32.

49 designates as a whole a discharge-chute connected with the base-casting 1 and the central tubular extension 2 thereof in register with the discharge-opening in the bottom of the basket into which the scraper delivers. Said discharge-chute, as best shown in detail Figs. 8 and 9, is approximately hoppershaped, the upper end thereof being roughly rectangular and the side walls converging' downwardly and curving radially outward, so as to terminate in a reduced outlet 50, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Describing now the mechanism whereby the several parts of the separator are operated, in a suitable supporting-frame (designated as a whole 51 and comprising a pair of laterally-opposite supporting-frames 52 and 53) are mounted three parallel shafts, (designated, respectively, 54, 55, and 56.) The shaft 54 is provided with a belt-pulley 57, through which powerisimparted thereto, and will therefore be designated the main drive-shaft. At one end said shaft 54 is provided with a pinion 58, which meshes with a relatively large spur-gear 59, mounted upon the counter-shaft 55. A belt-wheel is also mounted rigidly upon the shaft 54 and serves to impart rotation to the main step-shaft 3 through a belt 61, trained around the pulley 60, a pair of intermediate idlers 62 and 63, (see Fig. 1,) and a belt-pulley 64, mounted upon the upper end of the step-shaft. The shaft 55 is provided with a pinion 65, which engages a gear 66, mounted upon the shaft 56, which latter carries a worm 67 and will hereinafter be designated the worm-shaft. The worm 67 intermeshes with a worm-gear 68, mounted upon avertical shaft 69, journaled in suitable bearings in the frame 5l, said shaft 69 carrying an upper cam-wheel 70 and a lower camwheel 71.

The lower cam-wheel 71 actuates the scraper and to this end is provided with a somewhat irregular oval-shaped cam-groove 72, formed in its lower face, which is engaged by a camroller 73, mounted upon the end of the shorter arm 75 of a bell-crank lever 74. The lever 74 is pivoted, as indicated at 76, to a suitable base-support 77. (See Fig. 2.) The longer arm of the bell-crank lever is connected, by means of a link 78, with a crank-arm 7 9` keyed upon the lower portion of' the rock-shaft 39. The relative arrangement of the cam-wheel, cam -groove, and connecting mechanism is suoli that the scraper is oscillated in and out in the manner hereinbeore described.

The upper cam-wheel 20 actuates an ad mission-valve mechanism, through which supplies of the semiliquid material to be treated are admitted periodically. Describing said mechanism, designates a vertically-disposed rock-shaft journaled in suitable bearings 81 and 82 in the frame 51, the lower end of said rock-shaft carrying a rigid crank-arm 83, while its upper end is provided with a rigidly-connected gear-segment 84. The crankarm 83 carries a roller-wrist 85, which'engages a cam-groove 86, formed in the upper face of the cam-wheel 70, whereby oscillatory movement is imparted lto the rock-shaft 80.

87 designates a horizontally-disposed shaft mounted in suitablebearings 88 and 89 upon the upper cross-frame members 12 and 13.

90 designates a beveled gear segment mounted upon the shaft 87 and intermeshing with the segment 84.

91 designates a supply-pipe leading downwardly from any suitable source of supply and arranged to discharge at its lower end into the basket or drum 9. v At a point laterally opposite the shaft 87 said supply-pipe 91 is 'provided with an upwardly-opening flap-valve 92, which is provided with an actuating-stem 93, extending laterally out through the plpe and provided at its end with a crank-arm 94.

Upon the shaft 87 is rigidly mounted an actuating-disk 95, provided with a radial slot 96, and the crank-arm 94 is operatively connected with said autuating-disk by means of a link 97, one end of which engages the crank-arm 94, while the'opposite end is provided with a wrist 98, engaging the slot 96.

The object of the slot-and-link connection i that the actuating cam-wheels 70 and 71 rotate together the operation of the admissionvalve and of the scraper will be synchronous or bear a definite relation to each other. The operation of these respective mechanisms is so timed that the admission-valve will first be opened long enough to admit a charge of semiliquid material to the basket, then closed,

.and after the charge thus admitted has been subject to the centrifugal action Jfor some moments the scraper will be gradually thrown. into operative position to scrape the treated material from the walls of the basket and discharge it, whereupon the scraper will return to its closed or retracted position and a new charge of material be admitted, all of these movements following each other consecutively and without changing the speed of the separator.

rlhe liquid expelled from' the material treated is collected in an outer receptacle and discharged at one side of the machine. Describing said receptacle, 99 designates an openended cylindric shell surrounding the rotating basket and connected at 'its lower end with an annular or ring-like casting 100. The Casting- 100 is trough shaped in cross-section, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, and in order tol support the same in position it is provided with a plurality of outwardly-extending radial arms'which are integrally united with an inner ring 102, which in turn rests upon lugs or projections 103, formed upon the standards 5. At one side the casting 100 is provided with a spout extension 104. In order to carry the drip across the joint formed where the inner edge of the trough-shaped casting approaches the lower edge of the revolvingbasket, the latter is provided with an annular petticoat-ilange 105,said lange being extended f parallel with the inner lower wall of the Y trough', butsufciently removed from said wall .so as to run free from contact therewith.

The operation of the apparatus constructed as described has been substantially indicated in connection with the description of the mechanism. It may be noted, however, that in a machine designed for treating paper-pulp a machine having a basket diameter of approximately four feet may be advantageously run at a speed of about eight hundred revolutions per minute, while fresh charges are admitted and the scraper actuated to discharge the treated pulp about once every three minutes. It will be noted that the only joints through which leakage could occur from the basket are the joints between the upper and lower edges of the cylindric inner wall 32, and inasmuch as the liquid admitted to the basket becomes subject to the centrifugal action almost instantly and the machine is kept in continuous operation the tendency of the liquid is to iiow away from instead of toward these points of egress. The same principle of operation prevents the escape of the liquid through the joints formed between the edges of the scraper and the vertical edges of the interrupted cylindric wall 32. It is further to be noted that the provision ofthe confining-rollers 7, mounted and arranged to engage the annular rim 8 of the basket, holds the latter accurately centered and tends to prevent wabbling and insures a steady even movement of the separator.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have obviated the necessity of interrupting or in any wise interfering with the regular operation of the machine for the purpose of charging and discharging the latter, and accordingly the capacity of the machine is relatively high and its product very uniform. Moreover, the parts are so constructed and arranged as to be readily accessible for inspection and repair and at the same time simple, strong, and durable.

While I have herein shown and described what I deem to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it will be understood that the details of construction may be modified Without in any sense departingI from the invention, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to such details except to the extent that they are made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. A centrifugal separator comprising a vertical supporting-shaft, aseparator-basket supported concentrically upon said shaft, a nonrotatable inner wall arranged concentrically within said basket and forming a well into which material from the basket is delivered, and means for actuating said supporting-shaft.

2. A centrifugal separator comprising an upright rotatably-mounted main shaft, a separator-basket rigidly supported upon said main shaft, a relatively stationary scraper-support connected with the supporting-frame and extending within said basket, and a swinging scraper pivotally supported eccentrically upon said scraper-support and arranged to act upon the interior of the outer side wall of the basket.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a main frame, an upright main shaft journaled therein and provided with a step-bearing support, a separator-basket mounted upon said main shaft, and relatively stationary bearings engaging an annular part of said separatorbasket at points radially remote from said main shaft.

4. A centrifugal separator comprising a main supporting-frame, an upright shaftjournaled to rotate therein, aseparator-basket rigidly supported upon said main shaft intermediate Lipper and lower bearing-supports, an auxiliary bearing upon said main frame having operative engagement with the basket at points remote from the main shaft and below the bottom wall of the basket, and means for rotating said main shaft.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising a yoke-shaped main su pporting-frame having an upper cross-bar and a lower centrally-disposedv base, a main shaft journaled `in bearings in said cross-bary and base, a separator-basket supported upon thev intermediate portion of said main shaft, auxiliary bearing-standards extending upwardly from said base to points adjacent the lower portion of the basket, antifriction-bearings upon said standards, an annular bearing-ring upon said basket engaging said antifriction-bearings, and means for actuating said main shaft.

6. A centrifugal separator comprising a main frame, a main shaft journaled in said frame, a separator-basket supported upon and connected to move with said main shaft, a relatively stationary scraper arranged within said basket and operating upon the interior of the peripheral wall, said basket being provided with a discharge-opening in its bottom axial end into which the material removed by the scraper is directed.

7. A centrifugal separator comprising an upright rotatably-mounted main shaft, a separator-basket rigidly supported concentrically upon said main shaft and open to receive material delivered to its upper end, a relatively stationary -scraper-support extending within said basket, a scraper operatively mounted upon said scraper-support and arranged to act upon the interior of the peripheral Wall of the basket, and provided with a discharge-opening in its bottom wall into which the material removed by the scraper is guided by the latter.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a main supporting-frame, an upright shaft journaled to rotate therein, a separator-basket rigidly supported upon said main shaft, an inner cylindric wall supported within the basket provided in one side with an opening, and a scraper mounted within the basket adjacent to said opening' and arranged to operate upon the interior of the peripheral wall of the basket swung to its other limit of movement, for the purpose set forth.

10. A centrifugal separator comprising a main frame, an upright shaft journaled therein, a separator-basket supported upon said main shaft, a stationary cylindric wall arranged concentrically within the basket and provided with an opening or interruption at one side, a scraper hinged adjacent tov one edge of said opening and swinging within the latter, said scraper being constructed to substantially occupy the opening when swung to one limit of movement, and to extend adjacent to, and operateupon the interior of the basket when swung to its other Vlimit of movement, and means for automatically7 and intermittently oscillating said scraper, for the purpose set forth.

11. A centrifugal separator comprising a main frame, an upright main shaft journaled therein, a separator-basket mounted upon said main shaft, a cylindric wall arranged concentrically within the separator-basket radially between the main shaft and the peripheral wall of the basket and supported from the main frame said cylindric wall being provided with, an opening in one side, a scraper mounted adjacent to said opening to oscillate upon an axis parallel with the axis of the main shaft,'a rock-shaft operatively connected with said scraper, suitable driving connections for .intermittently oscillating said rock-shaft, and

mechanism for automatically and intermittently supplying material to the basket.

12. A centrifugal separator comprising a main shaft, a separator-basket mounted thereon, a scraper adapted to be intermittently brought into operative relation with the in` terior of the peripheral wall of the basket, said basket being provided with a dischargeopening into which the material removed by the scraper is directed, and mechanism for intermittently feeding material to the separator-basket, said feed mechanism and scraperoperating mechanism being interconnected by suitable timing mechanism, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a centrifugal separator, a main shaft, a separator-basket mounted thereon, an outer stationary casing surrounding said basket, an annular trough connected with the lower portion of said outer casing, and an annular drip- Hange mounted upon the lower part of said basket and overhanging at its lower edge said trough.

14. In a centrifugal separator, a main shaft and a-separator-basket comprising an upper rim, a spider connecting said rim, with the main shaft, supporting-arms connected with said upper rim and depending therefrom outside of the basket, an annular bottom member supported upon the lower ends of said depending arms, and a, strainer-wall extending between and supported by the upper rim and lower wall member, substantially as described.

W ALTER SABIN MCKIN N EY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, L. F. MCCREA. 

